Kadence's emerald eyes widened, and she instinctively screamed as she watched Alois's own blue eyes widen, the fingers that were grasping her hand falling away. "A-Alois!" She cried, nearly flinging herself from Sebastian's hands to get to the boy. No. No, how could he?! Claude was supposed to take care of him, not kill him!

Sebastian felt a disgusted feeling well inside of him, and he sneered at Claude while stepping back just enough to keep Kadence out of his reach and from flying out of his hand. "Of course. Only you would do something so despicable. You're a terrible butler and a worse demon. Attempting to kill your master before your contract is done."

Claude removed the knife, lifting the golden blade to his face and licking the crimson liquid off with a scowl. "I spent so long molding that soul, turning it into what I wanted, and then she goes and ruins my years of hard work. I am supposed to stand by and watch as she corrupts my meal?"

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder only momentarily at Ciel. Kadence had also slightly changed his own Master, however, he would allow that to happen. It added to the flavor, the scent of the soul. A mouthwatering spice. "I suppose only you would see it as corruption."

From the corner of his eye, he watched Claude lunge and was able to step back just enough to avoid him grabbing hold of the Borrower. "Ah, now, see, you're making a terrible mistake attempting to attack what belongs to me."

Had Kadence not been so focused on the blood pooling on the hardwood floor around Alois, she would have scolded Sebastian for referring to her as property. But she was too worried about the blonde Earl. He wasn't dead, but red liquid dribbled out the side of his mouth and down his chin. His eyes were wide in horror and pain, and his hands grabbed at his wound.

Sebastian turned to face Ciel and he held his hand with the small woman out toward him. "Young Master, if you would be so kind?" He requested with that usual smile of his. "Oh, and perhaps attempt to stop the Earl Trancy's bleeding."

Ciel never liked taking orders, especially from Sebastian, but he knew at this moment he had to act fast. There wasn't any time for arguing, and he knew that glint in his butler's eyes. Sebastian was angry, and the demon wouldn't ask for his help unless he truly needed it.

The young Earl met Sebastian's crimson eyes, firmly nodded his head just once, and took the tiny redhead in his own hands. He found he needed to close his fingers just enough so that she wouldn't fling herself off his hands trying to get to Alois. Ciel felt something inside him churn at the sheer desperation on her face, the way she sobbed and cried, frantically trying to get to the blonde. "Kadence. I understand you'd like to help him, but falling to your death will not do that." He kept his voice low, calm.

The gentle words barely reached the Borrower's ears, but she ceased her movements and fell against the pale, soft skin of the hands holding her. When she opened her mouth to speak, her words trembled as much as her hands and body were. "L-Lord Phantomhive, p-please, h-his wound needs covered. He needs to be on his stomach too!"

Alois lie groaning on the ground, tears spotting his cheeks as he looked to be trying to cover the wound by himself. Lying on his back, the blood was leaving his body faster than if he'd been laying on his stomach. First, that needed to be changed. Kadence knew this.

Ciel, while cupping Kadence in one hand, knelt to the ground and rolled the weeping Alois over. To him, it was pitiful. How someone who always was cruel to his servants and others could be like this when it was he who was injured. "Stop squirming, Trancy. Do you want to die faster?" He muttered in a near emotionless tone, though his brows were furrowed in concern as he gazed at the deep knife wound.

Alois only gave a light whimper in response to the Earl Phantomhive's words, his eyes squeezing shut while his hands fell to his side. "K-Kadence. I-I want Kadence, bring her to me!" He exclaimed, pleaded, his fingers furling and unfurling repeatedly in the crimson liquid around him.

Kadence's heart clenched in despair at the sound of his voice, and she looked up at Ciel to give him a soft nod. Being lowered to the floor, she stared at the pool of blood before her. Inhaling deeply, she stepped closer, her bare feet making contact with the horrible, warm fluid. It took all her strength to ignore the scent of iron that swirled around her. She could feel the bottom of her dark lavender gown becoming soaked.

She approached his face, using a black-gloved hand to wipe away the droplets of blood from his mouth. "A-Alois," Kadence whispered.

She'd grown quite attached to him, to the gentleness he could show when he truly wanted to. He didn't deserve this. Every inch of her body trembled just looking at him.

Alois grimaced in pain as Ciel began to apply pressure to his wound, but his cracked lips twitched into a bloody smile when his eyes landed on her. One of his hands moved to grasp the bottom of her gown. "I-It's all b-bloody, i-it'll be ruined."

"Shh, shh," she murmured, grabbing hold of one of his fingers and bringing it close to her body. "Y-You're going to be okay. Sebastian's going to take care of Claude, th-then we'll save you. Alois, I'm so sorry."

"D-Don't say sorry. Y-You made me happy," Alois muttered. "S-So happy...I-I missed that feeling very much." His fingers continued to mess with her dress, then moved to stroke her red hair. Water droplets began to mix with the blood, running down his face. Once more, he grimaced in pain but cast a thankful glance toward Ciel even though the other Earl couldn't see.

Tears pricked at her emerald eyes, and she only grasped the finger tighter. She choked on her words, struggling to come up with anything more to say. That was when the finger she was grasping grew very heavy. The blue eyes that were gazing at her, were no longer gazing at her but closed. Large tears continued to roll down his face and onto the floor. "A-Alois, n-no, please no."

One of her hands lifted to cover her mouth and she turned around at last to stare at Sebastian and Claude who had only been watching the ordeal. Claude looked satisfied, Sebastian looked horrified and distraught. She lifted a hand, pointing directly at Claude as she stared up at Sebastian's ruby red eyes.

Through her tears and quiet sobs, she lowered her other hand from her mouth. "S-Sebastian. Kill him."